Program closed
The $5000 Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program has closed.
Program overview
This program is now closed. The information below is for reference only.
The Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program supports businesses directly affected by the Victorian floods beginning in October 2022. There are two streams of support available under this program:
- Immediate flood relief grant
- Business Relief Service
The program is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements in relation to the Victorian Floods beginning in October 2022 (AGRN 1037) (the "Victorian Floods”).
Immediate flood relief grant
Businesses directly impacted by the Victorian floods beginning in October 2022 can access a one-off grant of $5000 to cover immediate expenses. Businesses must be located within an eligible local government area and incurred significant direct damage to their place of business, business assets, stock or equipment.
Eligible businesses can apply for the grant to cover expenses incurred from direct flood damage including for (but not limited to):
- qualified tradespeople to conduct safety inspections, repair premises and internal fittings
- equipment, materials and services needed for clean-up
- removal and disposal of debris, damaged materials or damaged stock
- equipment, stock and materials essential for immediately resuming operations.
Applications for this program closed at 4pm on Tuesday 7 February 2023.
Business Relief Service
The Business Relief Service is still available. It is a free service offering one-on-one support from local business relief advisers who are available via telephone and on the ground to guide business owners through the available Commonwealth, state and local supports. They can also help you manage insurance and landlord issues, assess impacts and form strategies for recovery.
To access the Business Relief Service, please submit an enquiry online or call the Business Victoria hotline on 13 22 15 during operational hours and they will connect you with dedicated business relief advisers and support.
Contents
Immediate flood relief grant
Eligibility
This program supports businesses that have incurred significant direct flood damage due to the Victorian floods beginning in October 2022.
To be eligible for a grant, businesses must:
- be located within a local government area deemed eligible for assistance under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement
- hold an active Australian business number (ABN) and have held that ABN on and from 14 October 2022
- be registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST) on and from 14 October 2022
- have incurred significant direct damage from flooding to the place of business, business assets, stock or equipment.
Examples of significant direct damage from floods could include:
- property, business assets, stock or equipment directly damaged by flood water and clean-up or their replacement (purchase or hire) is now necessary
- structural damage to property, business assets, stock or equipment has occurred as a direct result of the floods and now a qualified person (e.g. tradesperson) is required to inspect (e.g. safety) or repair affected items
- the place of business is unsafe due to direct flood damage and temporary premises are required to resume business operations
- property, business assets, stock or equipment was swept away by flood water and their replacement is essential to resume business operations.
Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria and agree to the conditions outlined in the program guidelines to be successful under the program.
Businesses will be ineligible for a grant if any information in their application is found to be deliberately false, misleading or fraudulent.
Eligible Local Government Areas (LGAs)
See the full list of eligible local government areas (LGAs)
Program guidelines
Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program Guidelines (PDF 261.8 KB) 
Small Business Immediate Flood Relief Program Guidelines (DOCX 1631.46 KB) 
Grant amount
Eligible businesses will receive a one-off payment of $5000.
Grant funding can be used to cover expenses arising from the damage caused from flooding to the place of business, business assets, stock or equipment.
Businesses will not be eligible to receive funding under this program if they have received support under the following programs:
What you need for your application
To apply you will need to:
- provide proof of identity
- attest that your business incurred significant direct flood damage due to the Victorian floods beginning in October 2022 and is located within a local government area deemed eligible for assistance under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement
- attest that grant funds will be used to cover business expenses arising from the damage from flooding to the place of business, business assets, stock or equipment
- where relevant provide ABN, entity registration details (e.g. ACN), trustee details, Workcover Employer Number if available and location of impacted business
Your proof of identity document can be one of the following forms of identification:
- Victorian driver licence or learner permit
- Australian passport
- Medicare card
- foreign passport for those issued with an Australian Visa.
If you cannot access or have lost or had documents destroyed due to the floods, see ‘I have lost or cannot access my identity documents due to the floods. What should I do?’
You can also email info@business.vic.gov.au or call the Business Victoria Hotline on 13 22 15 during operational hours for assistance.
If you require a translator, please let the operator know and they will call the Translating and Interpreting Service for you.
If you are having trouble uploading your identification or need help, please refer to our proof of identity verification user guide.
You can check the status of your application by logging into the Business Victoria Grants Portal.
How to apply
This program closed at 4pm on Tuesday 7 February 2023 and is no longer accepting applications.
If you have submitted an application, please note the Victorian Government or our representatives may audit your application so you will need to produce relevant evidence at the request of the Victorian Government.
If any information in your application is false, misleading, or fraudulent you may be asked to repay the grant.
Assessing your application
We will endeavour to notify applicants of a successful outcome within 10 business days. Please note there may be longer processing times and delays in notifying you of your outcome if:
We may contact you to provide updates about your application or to seek more information to assist with processing your application.
You can check the status of your application by logging into the Business Victoria Grants Portal.
Business Relief Service
The Business Relief Service is still available. It is a free service offering one-on-one support from local business relief advisers who are available via telephone and on the ground to guide business owners through the available Commonwealth, state and local supports. They can also help you manage insurance and landlord issues, assess impacts and form strategies for recovery.
To access the Business Relief Service, please submit an enquiry online or call the Business Victoria hotline on 13 22 15 during operational hours and they will connect you with dedicated business relief advisers and support.
If you require a translator, please let the operator know and they will call the Translating and Interpreting Service for you.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Read the full list of FAQs.